Update: Recruiting closed once again. Game is on Wednesdays at 5 pm Pacific, sessions are typically 4 to 5 hours. Char-gen info has been updated, below. I will be adding a few more details on Rhivia and Azagan later.

The campaign is called Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers, and that's the name used for the game room. We play on the OpenRPG Dev II server (Dev II is not shown in the server-list sometimes, but it is still used and can still be connected to; I have the server address for anyone who needs it).

Current party composition is a male human Fighter, a male half-orc Ranger, a male ophiduan Ranger/Nomad Psion, and a female halfling Shaper Psion. We need 1 or 2 new players to keep the group's strength up.

Char-Gen Rules (Updated):

Starting level (or ECL) for new PCs is 10th, with 90,000 XP (fast progression) and 72,000 GP for starting wealth. You may spend any portion of your starting wealth on an item, so long as you leave some coin left for basic supplies (rations, waterskins, bedroll, backpack, belt pouch, flint and steel, etc.). You will need to buy basic supplies; your characters will be traveling A LOT and often in strange or remote places. Also, you may want to buy any important magic items right at char-gen, since you'll have little, if any, chance of picking them up during play (see below). Your PC will also have a free clothes outfit as noted in the PF Equipment chapter.

Maximum Hit Points for 1st-level, plus half the maximum from each Hit Die beyond that (or you can roll each extra HD on the game-server in front of me; choose for each HD beyond 1st-level; if you roll less than half for any given HD, then you must take half the maximum result for your very next HD). Base ability scores will be determined with Pathfinder 25-point-buy (epic fantasy). Hero points from the APG/PFRD are being used, so PCs start with 1 hero point, but I'm not sure yet if I'll allow the spells and items related to hero points (the feats are OK). Traits from the APG/PFRD are being used as well, so PCs start with 2 Traits; there are no "Campaign Traits" available in this game, and some other Traits may be renamed to fit the setting.

Any alignment (except chaotic evil) is fine, but evil PCs won't be allowed if anyone plays a Paladin. And evil PCs cannot be treacherous, self-absorbed backstabbers (chaotic neutral PCs can't be crazy, either); they have to be capable of teamwork, and must have a plausible reason for wanting to see the group's mission through to the end (even evil people tend to have some friends, family, or other loyalties). Refer to the intro at the bottom of this post.

Campaign and setting are custom, but the rules will be pure Pathfinder with a dash of 3.5 material, and a houserule here or there for any particularly broken classes, feats, etc. For instance, I'll be imposing some kind of restriction or drawback on Summoners to tone down their utter brokenness. Most characters shouldn't have any HRs to deal with; it's just a few options that I'm considering a balance-fix for. You don't need to worry about learning much of the setting, either, as it'll be fairly basic aside from the strange regions the group will be exploring and searching in their quest.

We'll be using the Pathfinder core rules, and some of the Advanced Player's Guide material included in the PFRD. And a few things from the Tome of Secrets, like races and classes, but I'll need to tweak/HR the ToS classes a bit to fix them. As well as some material from SuperGenius Games, like the Shadow Assassin, Time Thief, Races of Wind and Wing, Races of Hoof and Horn, etc. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, PSIONICS! Yes, this campaign will heavily utilize psionics, primarily from the Psionics Unleashed core psionics book for Pathfinder, as published by Dreamscarred Press with Paizo's input. You can find the PDF for sale easily enough on the Paizo, Dreamscarred Press, or RPGNow websites, if interested. Likewise for the SGG PDFs if interested in them.

Some other (3.5) psionics material from Dreamscarred Press will also be utilized, with some tweaks by me to adapt those bits and pieces for Pathfinder. I'm considering a minor limit on how many power points a psionic PC/NPC may have available at once; maybe double their manifester level at maximum, with the ability to refill that reserve with points from their overall total as a full-round action, maybe a minute or hour of meditation.

Now, YOU DON'T NEED TO USE PSIONICS, but it will significantly enhance play and your immersion in the game if you do use psionics in this campaign. Most notably because the party will rarely encounter magic-wielders and will rarely find any magic items beyond initial character creation, let alone any place to buy or trade for them (no magic shops; you'll only find a rare few individuals in the campaign who have a limited selection of magic items they're willing to trade away or are capable of creating). The VAST MAJORITY of non-mundane loot and market goods in the campaign will be psionic, so you'll be sorely disappointed if you expect to stock up on magic scrolls, potions, wands, staves, rods, armor, weapons, or wondrous items. Your group will be seriously hampered in some situations if they do not have any psionicists. In fact, your overall mission may well be doomed to failure if none in the group has a decent grasp on psionics.

Perhaps more importantly to many, you will have few chances to pick up any kind of magical classes beyond initial character creation; there may be a few opportunities during the campaign where you can find someone or something to train/bless/whatever you for a magical PrC, or where you could learn a magical base class from an NPC or fellow PC, and there may be a few that you could just acquire naturally (such as Dragon Disciple for any spontaneous arcane casters that have dragon-blood in their family, and some contact with dragons to awaken that draconic blood; I will likely update the gem dragons from MM2 for Pathfinder in this campaign, and metallic/chromatic dragons may show up briefly in the campaign). Prestige classes will have some kind of appropriate roleplay requirement in this campaign; not too much, but enough that they'll actually be more prestigious than just "guy with a few levels of wizard and a few metamagic feats."

Minor Houserule: The Psicraft skill will be used instead of Spellcraft for psionic matters in this campaign, so replace Spellcraft on any psionic class skill lists with Psicraft. Same function, different name. Psionics and magic are different enough that they ought to require different skills to ID accurately, and Psionics Unleashed already uses Knowledge (Psionics) for other psionic purposes, so I don't know why Psicraft wasn't used in it.

Basic Campaign Info:

The Player Characters will start out as experienced adventurers of varied backgrounds, from different countries, organized by leaders of their home countries and tasked with finding a legendary artifact from a far-off land across the sea. The continent where the PCs hail from, or at least most of them (since a few PCs might be emissaries from the other continent), has been ravaged by war and left vulnerable. And an ancient, terrible evil is rising to finish the job the wars left half-done......

But the people of the main continent haven't faced this threat before, so they have no idea how to fight it, especially with their own militaries and magical resources all but depleted. Their only hope is a legend from the eastern continent, a distant and mysterious land that sailors have only had sporadic contact with. Those sailors brought back stories from that distant land, stories that include mention of an artifact wielded by the eastern continent's ancient leaders, against otherworldly invaders eerily similar to what those on the main continent now face......

And so the leaders of the main continent's remaining countries have decided to send out many of their most-capable countrymen to scour the eastern continent for the artifact, or for any easterners with the knowledge and power to repulse the ancient evil descending upon the main continent. Your PCs will be one such group sent on the search, one of the first in fact.

(Edit: The party has traveled to Azagan at this point, so that's where new PCs will be entering, either from another Rhivian expeditionary group or native Azaganians interested in traveling with the foreigners.)

The main continent used to be dominated by religious and arcane organizations, but now has only a small amount of magic still in use. Psionics has been around for a long time, but was rare among inhabitants of the main continent and there was little psionic lore available there for the past several centuries. Now psionics is making a minor resurgence on the main continent, and it has long been the dominant force on the eastern continent where the PCs will be going. Whereas many on the main continent once believed psionics to be a rare talent inherited only be a few people, recent contact with easterners has begun to spread rumors that anyone can develop such power with the right training, study, and focus, just like wizardry.

Final Notes/Suggestions:

You'll need a reasonably mixed party; some kind of frontliners, some kind of ranged attackers, some kind of scout/sneak, some kind of wilderness-guide, some kind of socialites, some kind of blaster, some kind of healer, some kind of information-gatherer, some kind of utility-person, some kind of lock-picker or door/chest-buster, and some kind of trap-disarmer or trap-springer. Ought to have some kind of psionicists among them. You will not be able to fight your way through every situation, nor sneak/talk your way through everything, either (nor can you just avoid the parts where one solution or the other doesn't work). I'm looking for about 6 players.

I will provide more-specific details on the campaign and setting when I have the time, and I'll be posting a character sheet template sometime around then as well. Everyone will need to use that character sheet template when submitting characters, and must submit them in this thread; I don't care if you use something else for your own reference and your own macros or char-gen or whatever, but I intend to keep organized notes on the entire party and their adventures, so I'm not bothering with any sheets posted on other websites, or in different formats.

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Something important I forgot when first typing that up. The primary reason that magical classes/items will be rare during play is that the wars on the main continent have been as much religious conflicts as territorial ones, and magic-wielders of all sorts were heavily employed by the militaries of the warring countries. So in the first few decades following the end of those wars, the people have come to resent mages, priests, zealots, and warmongers.

Wizardly libraries, bardic colleges, temples, shrines, and similar edifices have largely been destroyed or vandalized, leaving little for any new generations of mages or priests to learn from. While military academies and similar places have also been destroyed and fallen into disfavor, it's a lot easier for the remaining warriors of each country to train others directly, and less of the public resentment has been directed towards the average soldier or militiaman. Although a few decades have passed and the magical arts have slowly regained a small measure of respectability, there are still very few mages and priests remaining on the main continent to share their lore. Many magic items from the time of the wars have also been destroyed or buried, so there aren't many of them left to go around.

The World:

The world is known primarily as Mhavareth, to those on the main continent, itself called Rhivia by many of the inhabitants. Mhavareth is an Earthlike world with a yellow sun called Hevelior (or simply "the sun"; common myths of Rhivia say that Hevelior devoured the old sun, Rhisol), and a grayish moon called Lunelle (or just "the moon"). A year on Mhavareth is 280 days long, divided into 10 months of 28 days each on the Common Calender of Rhivia; each day is 24 hours long and each week is 7 days, as on Earth. The year starts with the first full moon of spring, as Lunelle completes a lunar cycle every 28 days, signalling the start of a new month. The common names for the months, from first to last, are simply Spring's Start, Spring's End, Summer's Start, Midsummer, Summer's End, Autumn's Start, Autumn's End, Winter's Start, Midwinter, and Winter's End. Weekdays are simply referred to by number; Firstday, Seconday, Thirday, Fourthday, Fifthday, Sixthday, and Seventhday.

The distant continent the party will be exploring/searching is known as Azagan and very little is known about it. But I will provide a few details about it to anyone who plays a native of that continent.

The Common tongue, also called Planar Common, is widely used across Mhavareth as a trade language, brought to this world by extraplanar merchants ages ago. The Great Beyond cosmology outlined in the Advanced Player's Guide (and the PRD, under Planar Adventures) will be used in this campaign. Racial tongues are used among many nonhumans, and Druidic persists among the druidic remnants across Rhivia. Other languages used on Rhivia include:

Rhivian (the language of an old empire that once dominated much of the continent, commonly spoken in the center of the continent),Toran (spoken by people across the Crimson Tors in southern Rhivia),Zanji (spoken by the Zanjin people of eastern Rhivia),Vanderglotten (used in Vanderheim and among related tribes),Loricaean (used across the Loricaean Isles and western coasts),Esarro (on the Esarroccan Peninsula of the southwest),Baratti (spoken in northwestern Rhivia and across northern islands),and Dejarim (dominant in the southern deserts and savannahs of Rhivia).

These regional languages may be selected as bonus languages for high Intelligence by any character, and humans (including half-elves and half-orcs) learn one regional language for free (in addition to Common). Non-humans may substitute one regional language for one of their race's automatic languages.

_________________Active DM and player on OpenRPG since 2002D&D, d20, PF, SR, and other systems if I can find a group for 'em

Last edited by Arkhandus on Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:59 am, edited 12 times in total.

Thu Apr 14, 2011 6:24 am

Arkhandus

Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:35 amPosts: 311Location: Glendale, AZ, USA

Re: RECRUITING, Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays)

More details on the main continent (Rhivia) will be added later.

Lands of Rhivia:

Barattegia: A fairly-large, predominantly-human country in the northwest of Rhivia, the Sterling Kingdom of the Glorious Barattegia has held power over that region since the fall of the Rhivian Empire. Founded and ruled by a family of aasimar, the Barattegia clan, this kingdom expanded rapidly at first and gathered many Rhivian colonials as well as native barbarians to its banner. The Barattegian dynasty mixed Rhivian culture with the native culture of the region to assimilate the varied northwestern peoples with a single identity as the new center of high culture, upward mobility, progress, equality, and enlightened ideals. While the reality of Barattegian rule was far less than what was promised, it nonetheless brought many people into the fold and attracted many immigrants from destitute or war-torn parts of the collapsing Rhivian Empire. The Barattegian kingdom has had its own share of troubles between periods of growth and prosperity, but has been a bastion of civilization and progress in the frosty northlands.

This country occupies the northern edge of the Rhivian continent west of Vanderheim, including the western banks of the Bitterbrine River and Bitterfrost Sea, and even a few habitable islands in the northern Sea of Eternal Ice. Barattegia also stretches along the western edge of Rhivia, southward into the Greenvale Mountains, a short mountain range with lush valleys and many fine Baratti vineyards. The southeastern border is rougher and more of a crescent, with the hobgoblin realm of Hozgrakorix spearing deep into Barattegia's southeast, slowly gouging out more territory from the Barattegian kingdom while enslaving more of its people. Bloody wars have wracked the southeastern parts of Barattegia as well as its coastlines, with Vanderheimer vikings striking out each summer along the seas and rivers. These wars and barbarian raids have severely depleted Barattegia's dwindling military resources and manpower, leaving only a dozen or so capable defenders in each Baratti city, town, or outpost, with a few more in the last few Baratti castles yet to crumble under siege.

The capitol city is Lantereaux, built within and around the ever-expanding castle of the ruling monarchy, Chateaux Barattegia. More of a palace than a castle, the inner walls and main keep of Chateaux Barattegia is a marvel of engineering and opulance, with high, fluted towers, gold- and silver-capped minarets, painted white and green walls, a legion of masterfully-carved and individually-unique marble gargoyles carved along each crenellated stretch of wall, vast arrangements of stained-glass windows depicting various religious and historical scenes, elaborate arches and flying buttresses, massive halls, large and beautiful gardens, and over a dozen artfully-crafted fountains both indoors and out. Several long, outer walls surround the keep from centuries of urban expansion, each designed with a more defensive purpose in mind. Lantereaux sprawls around part of the Saint Clemens River that flows north from the Greenvale Mountains, namely the river-system along the Bellesaire Plains.

The rest of Barattegia covers the White Stag Forest in the southwest, the Torrent Hills near the western coast, the Silver Hills of the north, the Bleak Precipice canyon of the southeast, the Bitterswell Floodplains near the middle of the country, the Windlash Tundra in the northeast, parts of the Frostweb Forest in the east, the Bastion Islands of the north, and the Stark Islands of the northwest. The kingdom's citizens include humans, gnomes, halflings, elves, and even a few dwarves. Local humans are fair of skin but have widely varied features, hair, and eye color, due to a mix of Rhivian, Vanderheimer, and other bloodlines. The dominant religion is Rhivian Pantheism, with Hevelior's church as the most-powerful force in the country besides the crown. However, the Golarion Pantheon also has a small but notable following in the northern and western parts of the country.

The ruling monarch is always a king of the Barattegia aasimar clan, though their bloodline has severely thinned over generations of interbreeding with humans. Rumors abound of Barattegian clansfolk seeking out azata, archons, guardinals, or devas to mate with and strengthen the clan's semidivine bloodline, even seeking out half-celestials in other parts of the world to mate with, but the royal family vehemently denies such rumors. The current ruler is King Laurent Barattegia, a handsome middle-aged man of blue eyes, fair skin, and blond hair, with traces of sterling silver in his hair and thin mustache as the only apparent signs of his distant aasimar heritage. His wife is Queen Cecilia Duvalle-Barattegia, a slightly younger and better-looking woman of similar complexion, eyes, and hair, rumored to be a distant relative. They have two young children, their daughter Lauretta and son Raphaello. Various lesser lords and ladies of human, elven, dwarven, or gnomish families rule over the other provinces of the kingdom, but the King has supreme authority in most matters of state, controlling a larger military and the most-powerful port-city in the nation.

The people of Barattegia are known as Baratti and speak the Baratti tongue, which draws heavily from the Celestial, Elven, Gnome, Rhivian, Sylvan, and Vanderglotten languages but with its own distinct differences. Some words are recognizably close to those in the base languages, but so many northwestern lingos and dialects were used in Baratti's development that it's impossible to understand more than a few fragments without properly learning the Baratti language itself. Those regional dialects and lingos were subsumed into Baratti, so they're no longer used in their original forms. Everyone in Baratti territory now just speaks the Baratti tongue itself, the Common tongue on occasion, and sometimes a racially-specific language they picked up again from foreigners or old writings. Baratti has its own script, though loosely based on Rhivian script and bits of others.

Cenebrelhuin: A wood elf country spanning the Greater Fogwood forest of northeastern Rhivia, bordering some of the former Zanjinhon territories to the east and Vanderheim territories to the west, while bugbears, orcs, and trolls menace their southern border in the Lesser Fogwood. The Greater Fogwood is a massive thicket of brush, pines, oaks, and yews, so it's a great source of bowmaking and carpentry material, but also quite chilly for most of the year. The Cenebrelhuin Principality is a reclusive society of loosely-allied wood elven clans, living up among the trees and generally distrustful of outsiders, though more welcoming to elven visitors.

While their lifestyle is somewhat primitive, living in small communities lead by the elders of each family with one noble family at the head of each community (the noble families are simply those with a trace of divine heritage in their ancestry), Cenebrelhuin elves are fairly civil with one another and with any guests. They trade food, furs, and occasionally lumber or crafts for metal goods, primarily trading with other elves but occasionally gnomes, halflings, or other nature-respecting races. A few Cenebrelhuin clans make their homes near the forest's edge and have slightly greater contact with humans, but the general attitude of Cenebrelhuin is somewhat hostile to nonelven trespassers. Cenebrelhuin elves venerate Alvaryn to some extent, but also worship Mhavara and a variety of minor elven deities. Some near the border with Zanjin territories revere Morigami and practice a loose form of Zantaoism. Some in the western edges of the Greater Fogwood have taken up worship of Cayden Cailean, Erastil, Shelyn, Gozreh, Nethys, and Gorum from the Golarion pantheon.

Corinaitus: The small Corinaitus Kingdom of central Rhivia dominates a few old Rhivian cities and towns along the Bright Plains between Kalynyral and the ruins of Rhivalius. Corinaitus is ruled by King Sevalius Tomarius Corinaitus III, a stern and practical half-elven man of middling years, average looks, and little grace. His wife Phenesaria died when the capitol city, Centrava, was suddenly invaded by magic-wielding bugbear assassins from Voregranixor, the goblinoid country to the east. Several key military and political leaders in Centrava were slain that day, including several members of the royal family and their staff, before royal guardsmen and the court wizard finally cornered and slew the assassins. Lacorinaios Desyrynion is the King's trusted advisor and court wizard, an elf from Kalynyral, with distant familial ties to the King's elven ancestors.

However, the Corinaitus ruling family is not predominantly elven, nor is the country's populace. Most residents are humans of Rhivian descent, while the ruling monarchy was founded by human descendants of an ancient Rhivian senator from this region. Though the kingdom was only founded a few hundred years ago, with three ruling kings and two ruling queens so far, it was the Corinaitus clan who united the feuding people of this old Rhivian province after centuries of disorder in the wake of Rhivia's fall. Before the first King Sevalius Tomarius Corinaitus, the family had some other name, now long abandoned. The last ruling Queen, Valeserian Aleata Corinaitus, fell in love with an elven bard from Kalynyral several decades ago and bore him a son from their short tryst, though the bard later departed when he grew tired of the old and poorly-maintained city of Centrava. While the Queen wrangled him into a brief marriage, the bard has never returned from his travels and is presumed dead. The laws of the country require the ruling monarch to be of the original King Corinaitus' bloodline, so only a human, or a half-elf like the current King, can take the throne. Sevalius III has ruled for decades now, since his mother passed away.

The Corinaitus Kingdom is a mildly prosperous country with an agriculturally-driven economy, and strong remnants of ancient Rhivian influence, including language and religion. However, some elements of other cultures have been adopted over the centuries before and after this old province reunified into a country. Merchants and entertainers from other lands frequently pass through the Bright Plains. Militarily, the kingdom is of average strength, with just over a dozen experienced knights, a thousand or so militiamen, and a few mercenary companies with cavalry in reserve.

Crathnorthog: A small Rhivian city at the southeastern edge of Vanderheim and alongside the Lesser Fogwood forest, Crathnorthog was renamed by an assembly of half-orcs from different tribes. These half-orcs conquered the few remaining residents of the ruined city (once known as Lanorinostica, according to old Rhivian maps) over a century ago and have managed to hold onto the ruiins for generations now. While full-blooded orcs from the Lesser Fogwood, and human clans from Vanderheim, occasionally strike at Crathnorthog, the resident half-orcs have held firm and reinforced the city's old fortifications. Other half-orcs occasionally hear about this one small haven for those of their kind, and sometimes manage to survive the journey to become part of this true-breeding half-orc community.

Though built on the Hellthicket marshland, Crathnorthog is fortified with stone walls and a few stone buildings, partially rebuilt with stones stolen from other towns several miles away. Most buildings in the city are old, fancy Rhivian timber structures or newer, shoddy wooden huts made by half-orcs. Some particularly-clever half-orc residents have figured out how to make new cement of the same kind once used in ancient Rhivia, so they've mortared the rebuilt stone walls fairly well, and they've also rediscovered the medicinal properties of local herbs. While trade is almost nonexistent between Crathnorthog and other communities, the half-orcs aren't hostile to merchants; their marshy home is just largely ignored by those who aren't trying to raid it. There's little of value in the city or its surroundings, anyway. Resident half-orcs generally speak the Orc language as well as Common and usually either Rhivian or Vanderglotten. They're mostly agnostic but some residents venerate Vanigor, Inahari, Lahurias, or Reveksor, and a few revere Torag, Gozreh, Pharasma, Gorum, or Rovagug of the Golarion pantheon.

Dejarinnar Sultanate: This is the oldest remaining country of southern Rhivia, outlasting the Rhivian Empire but only due to its relative isolation, and it was founded a few centuries later than ancient Rhivia. Dejarinnar is a hereditary monarchy ruled by a male Sultan or female Sultana, based on who's born first (and survives long enough) to the reigning monarch in each generation. The current ruler is Sultan Zarif Mulhazarak al-Dejahi, an elderly man with dusky skin, bright blue eyes, long black hair and beard, now graying. Sultan Zarif is a bitter old warmonger with numerous battle scars, including a lame leg and one ruined eye now covered with an eyepatch. His potential heirs are more numerous than the women in his harem, and quite a lot of court intrigue in the capitol of Dejaruk revolves around the schemes of Zarif's offspring trying to eliminate one another as rivals.

The royal Dejahi family is descended from janni, nomadic genies who occasionally visit the region. Before the Dejarinnar Sultanate unified the region, it was split up among several other genies staking their claims on the Material Plane, ranging from djinn to efreet, even marid and shaitan genies, but this came to an end when their long conflict finally drew the attention of the gods, who banished the genies. This divine intervention only allowed most genies to remain on the Material Plane while called or summoned by other people there, and the gods destroyed most items or magic-wielders in the area who were capable of any significant summonings. This allowed the native humans to fight amongst themselves and eventually govern themselves, with the Dejahi family rising to power after a few centuries. Their mix of janni blood granted them slightly greater power and longevity than pureblooded humans.

Dejarinnar is the strongest military power in the south of Rhivia, but weaker than it has been in a long time thanks to Sultan Zarif's warmongering. Dejarinnar has few allies now, surrounded almost entirely by enemies. The country spans the length of the deadly Hashanavarya Desert in south-central Rhivia, as well as the Kheheshna Savannah near the eastern coast, and the Mugarafi Hills at the southern edge of the country. Dejaruk lies near the eastern end of the desert, along the banks of the Salakye River that serves as Dejarinnar's primary lifeline, supporting a vital strip of cropland amidst an otherwise-harsh and arid desert.

Dejarinnar trades mostly in salt, spices, metals, and precious stones, importing food, drinks, and lumber. Its military is almost exclusively comprised of cavalry forces, including pegasi riders as well as regular horsemen, but Dejarinnar also commands a few riverboats and seafaring ships, generally inferior to those of greater seafaring nations like Zanjinhon, Loricaea, Barattegia, or Vanderheim. They also employ a fair number of arcane spellcasters and a few psionicists, as well as a powerful order of assassins, mysterious and feared by many abroad. The Dejarinnar Sultanate also employs a type of land-owning noble mercenary unique to southern Rhivia, known as the jannisars, the closest southern equivalent to knights.

Natives of Dejarinnar and most of southern Rhivia are known as Dejarim, speaking the Dejarim language that originated in Dejarinnar. The Dejarim tongue has minor similarities to the elemental tongues spoken by genies, but mixed with old human tongues of the region that have since been forgotten. Most natives of the area are humans, with dwarves and ophiduans as small minorities in a few corners of the region. Kobolds are a common menace. Most Dejarim are not very religious seeing as it was the gods who banished their genie masters (who had treated them relatively well aside from using humans in battles between rival genies), but some follow Dosaredios Dualism or Rhivian Pantheism, and a few draconic cults are found here and there. Dejarim revere genies and consider them semidivine, but only Dejarim who devote themselves to a deity can wield divine magic.

Estravico: The last pure remnant of the old Reino del Esarro, Principado del Estravico is a small country along the base of the Esarroccan Peninsula in southwestern Rhivia, bordering the Molten Sea to the northwest and the Shallow Sea to the southeast. Estravico spans the Campos de Maiz de Oro, a broad plain of corn fields just north of the peninsula, to the Colinas Carmesis hills northeast of the peninsula, as well as the Selva de Ebullicion, a hot and humid jungle on the peninsula itself. It is a hereditary monarchy closely tied to the church.

Estravico clashes often with its neighbors to the north, on the mainland, and on the peninsula in the southwest. Their last war was the Crusada de la Luz against the Calevarian Barony to the north, a small country that Estravico destroyed in their 'holy war' against the Rhivian pantheists of the Barony last year. Although Estravico won the war and left burnt ruins in their wake, they suffered heavy losses themselves and unexpectedly suffered an incursion from Diaborrosan cultists hiding deep in the Selva de Ebullicion. The cultists destroyed many homes and burned many crops before they, too, were defeated, leaving the Principado del Estravico in a fragile state. Even with the spoils of war, Estravico was short on food that year and many of its caballeros (noble-born warriors, skilled swordsmen and mounted lancers) and mosqueteros (riflemen, usually noble-born as well due to the high cost of firearms) came home to find nothing but ashes and rubble where their houses once stood.

This left the Principado in worse shape even as they spent their spoils on importing food and rebuilding homes. Now many of its soldiers are dispirited and living in squallor, while Principe Glorio Masenado is busy trying to fend off Loricaean pirates with his depleted navy so that he can try and bring in more food for his soldiers to retain their loyalty. The commoners are already on the verge of revolt themselves, as the Principe confiscates most of their remaining crops to feed his soldiers. Rivals to the south and northeast also threaten Estravico's fragile new peace.

Estravico holds true to old Esarroccan traditions and maintains what's left of the old kingdom's structures, including the old and extravagant Esarro capitol of Ciudad de Oro (now Estravico's capitol) along the Rio del Oro river at the edge of the Colinas Carmesis and Campos de Maiz de Oro. At the same time, Estravico has adopted newer technology from Barattegia, such as muskets, pistols, cannons, and mechanical clocks. Barattegia is one of the few countries Estravico trades with, despite the "heathen" practices of the Baratti people. Estravico trades gold, precious stones, iron, lumber, glasswork, art, and musical instruments for food and other goods, though it used to export food instead of importing it.

Like its predecessor, Principado del Estravico is a country of fervent devotees to the Dosaredios religion, namely the worship of Domirrodios the True Lord. Estravicoles (people of Estravico) are usually religious zealots and oppose other faiths with gusto, to the point of violence against followers of Diaborrosa or any other deities or spiritual philosophies besides Domirrodios. Residents of Estravico are primarily of the Esarroccan human ethnicity, with swarthy skin, broad faces, slightly large ears, black hair, and dark eyes, while the men tend to be rather hairy. Estravico also has many halfling residents across the plains and a few dwarven residents in the hills, as Domirrodios' faith urges the Esarroccans to treat other people well and spread the faith of Domirrodios to others. The primary language of the region is Esarro.

Grandheim Kingdom: A small kingdom southeast of Vanderheim, founded by Rhivian humans with mixed Vanderheimer lineage. Grandheim Kingdom is only a few centuries old, now ruled by King Markos Eisenbracht, an ugly man of middling years made even uglier by the scars of war since the Grandheim invasion and conquest of the Weisslund city-state 10 years ago. Weisslund sits upon the edge of the Weissenstein salt flats at the southeastern edge of Vanderheim, providing a lucrative salt-trade for Grandheim now that they've taken over. King Markos has no heirs, except for his young cousin Duke Rickard Eisenbracht, who currently governs Weisslund for the King.

The capitol of Grandheim Kingdom is the city of Grandheim itself, several miles southeast of Weisslund, though several smaller towns and villages also lie under Grandheim's control. Besides the corner of Weissenstein they control, the rest of Grandheim Kingdom occupies lightly-forested hills and a few small farms. The Kingdom trades salt, precious stones, silver, and a small amount of lumber for imported foodstuffs, wines, ales, and iron. Grandheim Kingdom is a warlike country with a beautiful landscape and architecture as grand as its name, built upon older Rhivian structures and newer buildings funded by the spoils of war. The country has a small order of knights, the Grand Knighthood, with various noble titles, though numbering only about a dozen knights since the Weisslund war. Each of Grandheim's knights commands a force of two or three dozen militiamen at present, most of them green recruits. People of Grandheim generally speak Vanderglotten, with Rhivian considered the high speech of the nobility there. They have a few shrines and one temple to the Rhivian Pantheon.

Kalynyral: This high elven kingdom lies along an oxbow bend of the Lynwyveris river in central Rhivia, midway between Rhivialus and the southern edge of Vanderheim. An ancient elven territory, Kalynyral and its surrounding woodland, the Senralisan forest, has never been conquered though often invaded by neighboring goblinoids, orcs, and humans. Partly thanks to Kalynyral's diplomatic efforts and alliances with various other elven communities as well as a few human communities, Kalynyral also maintains a strong military specialized in archery and offensive arcana, albeit greatly diminished over thousands of years in conflict with enemies of the elven people.

While the kingdom managed to maintain its autonomy during the Rhivian Empire's reign over the surrounding countryside, Kalynyral was forced to pay tribute to the Rhivian emperors for several generations in order to avoid a disastrous war for the elves against overhwelming odds. Since that empire's decline and collapse, however, Kalynyral has prospered once more and fiercely maintained its independance. Recent wars with orcish hordes coupled with yearly raids by vikings from Vanderheim have worn down Kalynyral's military to a scant few dozen warriors and a handful of battlemages, though most residents of Kalynyral (numbering in the thousands) are trained in fencing and archery to at least a small extent. The current monarch is Queen Sorivalian Kalynyral, who has reigned for two centuries since her father, King Tavrynalyros Kalynyral, fell in battle against the last great hobgoblin invasion. Queen Sorivalian's consort is King Lowylyrian Arvestriex, the slightly-older patriarch of the Arvestriex noble family in charge of Kalrystryl's docks. Kalrystryl is the capitol city built around the center of the Lynwyveris river's oxbow.

Kalynyral maintains trade in food, wine, honey, silk, and lumber for various metals from human merchants and others in the region, even dwarves on occasion. The elven kingdom has several beautiful villages and cities scattered about the forest and riverbanks, with numerous bridges of exquisite craftsmanship. Most buildings in the kingdom are built of wood, but there are also several stone edifices as well. Kalynyral has a modest population of half-elves, but they are treated with a mixture of distaste and pity for their human heritage. A few half-elves manage to reach positions of respect and prestige in Kalynyral, typically by proving themselves among the Arcane Archers of Kalynyral or the Kalynyralin Eldritch Knights. Kalynyralins worship Alvaryn almost universally, with Alvarynite temples found in every Kalynyralin community, but a few venerate other deities, even Cayden Cailean, Erastil, or Nethys of the Golarion pantheon after contact with missionaries from the north.

Loricaea: A small seafaring country scattered about the Loricaean Isles to the west of Rhivia, amidst the Molten Sea, so-named for its innumerable volcanic islands and underwater volcanos. Loricaea also occupies a small portion of Rhivia's mid-western coastline around the Naios Peninsula, and part of the Olympian Spires mountain range. The Federation of Loricaean Isles is a loosely-knit collection of independent city-states, towns, and villages who live by democratic principles. Each community is governed simply by popular vote of the local heads of household; although only land-owners in the Federation may vote, the country has fairly loose and simple laws that suit the freedom-loving Loricaeans.

While known all across Rhivia as some of the greatest seafarers around, so much so that ancient Rhivia copied their ship designs for its navy, Loricaeans are also some of the most notorious pirates ever seen. Their sturdy, well-armed ships are crewed by dozens or hundreds of men, employing both oars and sails for any weather. However, Loricaea also does a fair amount of sea trade in fruit, precious metals, obsidian, pumice, diamonds, fine art, and exotic dyes for lumber, marble, foreign foods, wine, spices, and iron.

The Loricaeans have little in the way of real military power, just a lot of seafaring marines, and their shortage of iron means they rely on brass or bronze for most weapons, armors, shields, and other metal instruments. Their primary soldiers are hoplites in medium or heavy armor with heavy shields and spears, short swords, or javelins, while Loricaean pirates tend to carry smaller shields and leather armor. Loricaeans often clash with sahuagin and other sea-monsters, while their volcanic homeland sometimes destroys their towns, forcing some islands to be abandoned for decades or centuries.

The largest city-states of Loricaea include ancient Lorica itself, which occupies an entire island by the same name, as well as Seronitoa, Hevarestes, Phauthos, Cerevales, Oclarens, and Naios on the mainland. Loricaeans are mostly humans, but they also include many halflings and a small number of gnomes. Loricaea is also one of the few countries to have peaceful relations with giants in their vicinity, trading and debating and partying with local giants. Cyclopes still threaten them on some islands, but Loricaeans are known to sometimes employ ogres or merrows on their ships, treated like regular crewmates. Loricaeans speak their own language, and Loricaean humans tend to be bronze-skinned with dark hair and eyes, often with a pronounced nose and brow, but not as hairy as most other humans. Loricaeans practice whatever religions they feel like, including whatever they pick up from sailing abroad, but most are fairly irreverent and free-spirited. Philosophy and debate are more common.

Rhivia: This ancient empire has fallen apart and all that remains of it now are ruins and cultural elements that remain among many of its former territories, including the Rhivian religion and the Common Calendar. The empire once covered much of the main continent, itself now called Rhivia. The former capitol is Rhivalius, now a haunted ruin at the center of the continent.

Seronaxica: A small but strong city-state controlling the tip of the Esarroccan Peninsula, Seronaxica occupies the southwestern corner of the Gran Selva jungle and has a massive shipyard in the middle of its long docks. Seronaxica commands a large navy of fast, well-armed ships that ply the Molten Sea and Shallow Sea in search of enemy ships to assault and plunder. They've stolen cannon and firearm technology from Estravico while whittling down the Estravicole navy, and even Loricaean pirates are hesitant to face down Seronaxican ships in a fair fight.

The Ciudad-Estado de Seronaxica is a sprawling, heavily-populated city of practical wooden structures, with a few key buildings constructed of stone during the reign of the old Reino del Esarro that once dominated the peninsula. While not as beautiful or opulant as Estravico's capitol, Seronaxica is well-supplied and well-guarded, with a large population of elves and half-elves lending magical support to its border patrols and naval vessels. Though still primarily human in population, of Esarroccan lineage, the Seronaxicans live mostly in harmony with their elven neighbors and respect the elves' dominion over the northern half of the Gran Selva.

Though devoted to worship of Domirrodios, Seronaxica is less fanatical than some of its northern neighbors, and more accepting of other faiths. While still opposed to cults of Diaborrosa and other evil cults, the Seronaxicans have a relatively small number of priests and follow a looser interpretation of the Palabra de la Santa than others on the peninsula. They still practice the militant aspects of the religion, but not so much in opposition to other faiths as instead a tradition of maintaining strong, active efforts against threats from other lands, sending out naval units or guerilla units to sabotage or "warn off" enemies by keeping them on the defensive. Seronaxica is only aggressive towards those who've tried to invade or raid it, however; primarily other Esarroccans and a few mainlanders.

Seronaxica was one of the first territories to rebel against the old Reino del Esarro, and its leaders have been elected from among the city-state's populace ever since. The current mayor, or Alcalde, is Ricardo Sancarlo of the Mariners' Guild. The city council is lead by representatives of each major local guild. The city-state trades a small amount of lumber, food, wine, and crafts, particularly carpenters' work, as well as the occasional ship, while importing metal for its forges. The official language of Seronaxica is Esarro.

Vanderheim: This sprawling expanse of scrubland, marshes, forests, and highland moors is located in north-central Rhivia and borders various other countries. Vanderheim is inhabited by human clans, known collectively as the Vanderheimers, who have no real unity or formal government. Each clan wars with others in the region and occasionally allies with a few other clans to invade other countries for pillaging and expanding their territory. They live primitively in general, but have great skill at metalworking, smithing, and smelting, so their arms and armor are quite well-made. Vanderheim clans live in wooden longhouses or peat- and sod-built huts, with stone buildings for smithies and small castles. They trade occasionally with other clans or other countries, but mostly just raid and pillage whatever they need.

Their homeland makes for poor farming and hunting grounds, so they inevitably go a-viking downriver into other lands for pillaging. This, of course, makes Vanderheim rather unpopular with other countries and occasionally results in massive losses for one or both sides when the clans go a-viking. Vanderheimers are capable seafarers with their longboats, and sometimes make long voyages downriver into the eastern or western oceans to explore and plunder new realms where nobody expects such an invasion. They do, however, get along well with dwarves in the hills. The leaders in Vanderheim clans are simply the best warriors, titled Jarls if they control a large territory or Laird if they control only a single town or village. Vanderheimers are tall, often burly, free-speaking humans of fair skin, blue eyes, and blond or red hair, occasionally black or brown hair from intermarriage with foreigners. The men are often quite hairy and often sport thick beards, and wear their hair somewhat long (shoulder-length hair is common, while women often sport even-longer hair; both men and women have a tendency to braid their hair to some degree).

The Vanderheim territory includes much of the coast along the inland Bitterfrost Sea, at the northwestern corner of Vanderheim. A few clans near the southern edges of Vanderheim, amidst rivers and forests, have built small cities or taken over cities left behind by the Rhivian Empire of old. These cities are ruled by Grafs, if peaceful (though even those cities have at least a defensive militia, lead by a Herzog), or a Kaiser in the case of the military city-state Archenburg. People of Vanderheim or those who've migrated elsewhere from that land speak the Vanderglotten tongue, and typically venerate the Rhivian pantheon of deities, though a few practice other religions depending on where they live, such as the Rocha clans of southeastern Vanderheim who practice Esarroccan Dualism, while a few of the northernmost tribes, calling themselves Weissdrachenvolkers, worship white dragons and draconic deities. There's also a substantial number of Vanderheim clans that have been converted over the last few centuries to worship of the Golarion deities, mostly in the central and northern reaches of the country.

Zanjinhon: The oldest of the eastern countries upon the continent of Rhivia, Zanjinhon is now but a shadow of its former glory, a small and fractured empire clinging to the last vestiges of greatness. Now surrounded by small feudal domains that once belonged to the Zanjnhon Empire, it is a war-torn coastal country that survives only on meager agriculture and a brisk sea trade with distant lands. Zanjinhon has a strong warrior tradition and strong naval tradition, but recent wars have dwindled its army down to a few hundred warriors, most of them peasant ashigaru, lead by a few dozen remaining noble samurai. The Zanjinhon navy is nothing more than half a dozen small warships now, and a dozen or so merchant vessels. The capitol city of Zanjinhon is Zantenkin Toshi, a heavily-fortified but beautiful city decorated with gold, in the eastern foothills of the Yama-no-Tenshi mountain range.

The ruler of Zanjinhon is the elderly Emperor Kaizan Hohiro, who has only one surviving heir, Kaizan Shugino, his youngest son. Shugino's older brothers and sisters perished in the last two wars of the region, the Kubarakonji prefecture's war of secession and the Arenogami Akujin war, in which cultists and their allies among the daimyos of what used to be southern Zanjinhon waged war on the Imperial family and their samurai, aided by conjured oni and other agents of Arenogami, in a bid to topple the empire and bring about a new age of "freedom and equality" to the region (but really just anarchy and free reign for oni to rampage in that corner of the Material Plane). The last major conflict before those was just the latest Vanderheim invasion, 20 years ago, which ended poorly for both sides.

Below the Imperial family are the few samurai families that still serve them, diminished in numbers by the many wars of recent centuries. There are also the kannushi and budoka, or priests and monks, who are considered to be of roughly equal status to the samurai but without any military or political ranks and privelages. Below them are the peasant ashigaru, families of militiamen with less wealth and less training than samurai but still quite formidable and respectable, serving under samurai commanders. Then there are the rest of the peasants, the heimin who work for a living. Honor, face, and the code of bushido are important in Zanjinhon. People of Zanjinhon and its former territories are known as Zanjin, and they speak the Zanji language. They are olive-skinned with dark hair and eyes, with a notable slant to their eyes that seems almost elven.

Zanjin peoples generally worship the Kami of the Zantao religion, but wars of the last few decades have lead many to lose some faith in the Kami. It is an animist religion and philosophy, quite different in its teachings, practices, and beliefs than the Rhivian religion (foreign deities are considered nothing more than rogue Kami to believers of Zantao). Most territory in the Zanjinhon region is mountainous or hilly terrain, though fertile from frequent coastal rainstorms. The lowlands are marshy floodplains, and forests dot the hill-country. A desert stretches across the southern plateau at the edge of Zanjin territory, where barbarians and outlaws dwell.

Organizations:

Only a few small temples and academies remain to provide formal religious or arcane training, scattered in remote places. And only a few other small organizations or academies remain to train warriors or assassins. These remaining organizations are as follows:

To be added soon

Last edited by Arkhandus on Wed May 11, 2011 7:58 am, edited 21 times in total.

Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:12 pm

mikbuster

Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 11:32 pmPosts: 48

Re: RECRUITING, Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays/Frid

I'm kind of interested in playing a character I thought of (I imagine myself in alternate lives and characters I would want to play as these people pop up), but I don't own any pathfinder stuff (3.0 and 3.5 stuff primarily). I looked for a bit yesterday online for free SRD sources, but the psion class wasn't on there (unless I missed it).

Can I play a psion with 3.5 rules from the 3.5 D&D SRD in the game, or is there a place you know of that includes it for pathfinder?

Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:12 am

Arkhandus

Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:35 amPosts: 311Location: Glendale, AZ, USA

Re: RECRUITING, Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays/Frid

Yeah, I don't think Psionics Unleashed has been released in an online SRD. Given that it's new and all, though largely just an adaptation of the 3.5 psionics rules. You could use the 3.5 psionics material in the Hypertext d20 SRD or something, and I can tell ya what changes or improvements were made for them in Pathfinder. For instance, if you mean to play a psion, I can tell ya what changes apply for whatever discipline you choose for that psion.

Also, this reminds me that I forgot to note a minor houserule above, that I'm keeping Psicraft around as a skill, whereas Psionics Unleashed just indicates Spellcraft for psionic identification, which doesn't make any sense. Too much difference in how powers are activated and their displays and such.

Edit: Some basic details. Pathfinder psions get d6 HD, low BAB as normal, low Fortitude and Reflex, and high Will. Class skills are Autohypnosis, Craft, Knowledge, Profession, and Spellcraft (Psicraft instead in this campaign), plus class skills based on psion type: Diplomacy and Perception for Seers, Bluff and Disguise and Use Magic Device for Shapers (UMD covers psionic items as well as magic items), Disable Device and Intimidate for Kineticists, Acrobatics and Heal for Egoists, Climb and Fly and Survival and Swim for Nomads, Bluff and Diplomacy and Sense Motive for Telepaths, or Use Magic Device and one other chosen from the aforementioned skills for Generalists (psions who choose no discipline to specialize in).

Proficiencies and other basics of the class are otherwise the same as in 3.5. They get 2 PP/day at 1st-level, increasing to 35 by 6th-level, plus any bonus power points from Intelligence (don't remember if the bonus points table is the same as in 3.5, but I'll check later). They start with 3 powers known, learning 2 more at each level beyond 1st, up until 11th-level onward where it slows down some; they have a total of 13 powers known by 6th-level (5 of 1st-level, 4 of 2nd, and 4 of 3rd). They get a bonus feat at 1st-level and another at every fifth total level in the class, which must be psionic, metapsionic, or psionic item creation feats.

They get Detect Psionics at-will as a psi-like ability at 1st-level, no cost and no augmentations, and only functioning when they have psionic focus. They also get 2 Discipline Talents at 1st-level, which are chosen from among a few powers of their specialized discipline, and these Discipline Talents function at-will with no cost and no augmentations, but only useable while maintaining psionic focus, and many of them have an additional limitation or reduction in their effect (such as a shorter duration or smaller bonus than normal). Generalist psions do not get access to any of the psion discipline lists, just the general psion/wilder power list, but a generalist does get 3 Discipline Talents instead of 2, and chosen from a set of powers that includes one of each discipline (though still taken from the general power list).

Each psion in Pathfinder also gets a specific Discipline Ability at 2nd-level, 8th, 14th, and 20th level, determined by his or her choice of discipline (generalists have their own set of abilities that help with general power use and learning or manifesting an extra power or two).

Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:23 am

Arkhandus

Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:35 amPosts: 311Location: Glendale, AZ, USA

Re: RECRUITING Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays/Frida

Religions of Rhivia:

There are 5 major religions across the continent of Rhivia. The most-prevalent is Rhivian Pantheism, which includes the 23 major deities detailed below in the Deities of Rhivia section, as well as various lesser demigods, saints, hero-deities, archangels, archfiends, and the like.

There's also the Draconic Quiintet of 5 dragon-deities detailed in the Draconic Deities section below, venerated by dragons and other reptilian creatures worldwide, though also revered by some individuals of other races who covet the power of dragons, or who possess a little dragon blood in their ancestry.

Many people of the Esarroccan Peninsula and along the Crimson Tors follow a dualistic religion known as Dosaredios, which has slowly spread to a few pockets of civilization elsewhere. Refer to the Dosaredios Deities section below for details.

The dominant religion of eastern Rhivia is Zantaoism, primarily practiced in the Zanjin territories, and it includes worship of various minor divinities known as Kami in addition to the 9 major deities known as Gami or O-Kami, detailed in the Zantao Deities section below.

Finally, the Golarion Pantheon, as described in official Pathfinder materials, also has a small following among the northern peoples of Rhivia, as visitor deities more closely involved with a different Material Plane but meddling with Mhavareth on occasion.

Deities of Rhivia:

HEVELIOR, the Sun-Eater, the Bright Lord, Sky TyrantMale Greater DeitySymbol: Golden sun-disk emanating triangular red rays, with a toothy smile but no faceHome Plane: UtopiaAlignment: Lawful NeutralPortfolio: The sun, gluttony, ambition, rulership, victory, power, renewalWorshippers: Druids, duelists, farmers, herders, nobles, hunters, gluttonous monstersCleric Alignments: LE, LG, LN, NDomains: Law, Nobility, Repose, Strength, SunFavored Weapon: Bite or morningstarThe Rhivian sun-god, Hevelior, has long been worshipped on Rhivia since the middle of the ancient Rhivian Empire. Legend says that it was around that time when Hevelior rebelled against his father, Rhisol, the original sun-god of the Rhivian pantheon, and devoured the old sun-god. This is known in Rhivian legends as the Day of Dual Dawns, when the second sun rose and overtook the first, both flaring brightly and blinding many people before the first sun was consumed, leaving only the second sun to continue its arc across the sky each day. This is a holiday to Heveliori, the faithful of Hevelior, but a day of mourning for followers of Lunelle, Mhavara, and Ashalla. It is celebrated (or mourned) on the 1st day of Summer's Start, and it is said that the summer of the event was especially hot and terrible as Hevelior first asserted his new power. Smaller celebrations for Hevelior are held on the last day of Summer's End, and a more sober observance is held on the last day of Autumn's End to beseech Hevelior for enough warmth to keep the winters mild.

Hevelior's body is said to be the sun itself, but he can also manifest another form when desired, that of a tall, muscular, humanoid man with swarthy skin, rippling hair of reddish-gold flames, eyes of pure gold, pearly white teeth, and handsome but severe appearance. He is always seen or depicted with a broad smile, but often in a smug, mocking, or threatening manner, and occasionally in a mirthful or benevolent style. He wears minimal robes of molten gold, along with a necklace made from some of his father's ivory bones. Hevelior wields a flaming gold morningstar in battle, called Heatdeath, embedded with spikes made from Rhisol's ivory bones.

Hevelior himself is worshipped as the bringer of light and warmth, vital to agriculture, hunting, and herding due to his role in keeping plants alive and growing. He also wards off some of the horrors of the dark and cold like Rhisol once did, providing succour from undead, lycanthropes, and other creatures who fear the light of day or who lose their power during the day. He also promises renewal and rebirth for the worthy, but harsh retribution to all who wrong him and his faithful. Hevelior is a patron god of feasts and endorses gluttonous behavior, helping others hunt or harvest plentiful food near times of feasting. Hevelior is also the patron god of noble families, their privelages, ceremonies, honor, and laws, particularly those of royalty. Other leaders also seek his favor before many endeavors.

Priests of Hevelior must be noble-born and are never given divine gifts by him unless they have the blood and upraising of nobility or royalty. Heveliori priests oversee many noble and royal ceremonies, including duels. Hevelior's priests often help build, manage, and guard granaries or other food-storage facilities so their communities will have enough to eat. They also guard and scribe legal documents, as well as scribing and delivering royal proclamations, besides guarding nobles and royals themselves and serving as dueling proxies in some cases. Adventuring Heveliori might seek out lost royal treasures or might simply be seeking power and prestige for themselves.

Clerical vestments are white togas with varying amounts of cloth-of-gold trim or gold accessories depending on the individual's rank within the Heveliori church, though small or moderate amounts of red are also favored by some. Priests of Hevelior go by the rank of neophyte when studying and preparing for higher duties, then acolyte after passing certain tests to become a full-fledged priest, flamen after becoming an accomplished and recognized champion of the church abroad, archon after becoming the confirmed (and thoroughly-tested) head of a shrine or temple, hierarch if they pass the harsh trials for regional leadership, and finally primarch if they become leader of the entire Heveliori church. There are also minor and major sub-ranks for all below the primarch, such as acolytes major who manage other acolytes and neophytes. Heveliori priests pray at dawn.

LUNELLE, the Moon Maiden, the Mourning Virgin, Night QueenFemale Greater DeitySymbol: Gray moon-disk with a 4-pointed, undulating, black star at the centerHome Plane: LimboAlignment: Chaotic NeutralPortfolio: The moon, darkness, mourning, reflection, insanity, change, rain, stormsWorshippers: Druids, farmers, herders, widows, virgins, rebels, thieves, lycanthropesCleric Alignments: CE, CG, CN, NDomains: Chaos, Darkness, Liberation, Madness, WeatherFavored Weapon: Claw or starknifeThis moon goddess of Rhivia has had a mixed history and was once considered quite respectable for worship, while those blessed with Lunelle's divine gifts were once viewed with awe and reverence. She was the favored daughter of Rhisol, and was a reflection of him in many ways. Lunelle was also briefly betrothed to the original Rhivian god of night and winter, Noctavian. It is said that before Rhisol's death, all lycanthropes of Rhivia were noble, majestic, blessed creatures with Lunelle's favor, while creatures of the dark were once fearful of her moon's light. Once Rhisol was devoured by Hevelior and Noctavian was slain by Ravik, Lunelle fell into an insane, mournful rage and lashed out, causing all kinds of mayhem, even for her treacherous brother Hevelior. Her rage was spent quickly, however, and she looked for other ways to spite Hevelior and Ravik, as well as those who did nothing to save Rhisol or Noctavian.

Now Lunelle is seen as the source of madness and depression in others, spreading her own misfortune, and she is the patron goddess of lycanthropes and other creatures who dwell in the dark or hunt at night. She has become the queen of darkness and no longer protects people from anything that goes bump in the night. Goddess of the moon and stars, she also holds some small dominion over portents and astrology, but Lunelle is also the patron goddess of other mourners, virgins, and innocent maidens, often sympathizing with such people and lending them some aid (or occasionally, the release of a swift death). She is revered by thieves and rebels for her dominion over night, darkness, and change. Lunelle is fickle now and manipulates the weather, conjuring storms whenever her mood sours, and rain is said to be Lunelle's own tears. Farmers and herders offer prayers to her whenever they need rain or to beg for the end of monsoons. Lunelle is also associated with mirrors and other reflective surfaces.

Lunelle is the moon itself, but also manifests a second, humanoid form when desired. Her humanoid form appears to be a tall, graceful, beautiful woman with a regal bearing. She has pearly skin, flowing hair composed of absolute darkness, robes of flowing silver and starry voids, but dull eyes of pure gray, black claws for fingers, and rotten black fangs for teeth. Dark mists issue forth from her mouth when she speaks, and she often speaks in babbling near-nonsense, acting unpredictably. When she fights, she forms a jagged, flickering blade from the spark of a newborn star, a starknife called Dying Ember, which darkens and crumbles to dust after use.

The faithful of Lunelle are known as Lunellans and they're fairly rare, generally distrusted by most folk in polite society, but her priests often attend funerals and provide what comfort they can to the bereaved, even paying for the funerary services and burial when they show up (so it's considered terribly rude to mistreat or reject them when they attend a funeral, despite the Lunellans' otherwise poor reputation in civilized lands). Lunelle's priests also assist farmers at times and some run orphanages, asylums, monasteries, or nunneries, where the abandoned, disgraced, hopeless, or insane can find some solace. Some are thieves or otherwise part of a criminal organization. Her priests are known simply as brothers or sisters, without rank, though generally the most-experienced or most-gifted ones manage her temples and other establishments. Lunellan priests wear simple robes of black and gray, often with hoods, veils, or both, and sometimes adorned with the peculiar star-pattern of her holy symbol. Lunellan priests pray at nightfall or midnight.

MHAVARA, the Earth-Mother, the Green Lady, Mother NatureFemale Greater DeitySymbol: Green disk with a white halo, an 8-pointed red star above, and a blue drop belowHome Plane: PurgatoryAlignment: NeutralPortfolio: The elements, nature, seasons, stability, eternity, rebirth, the cycle of lifeWorshippers: Druids, rangers, farmers, herders, hunters, widows, undertakers, fey, plantsCleric Alignments: CN, N, NE, NG, LNDomains: Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Repose, Plant, Water, WeatherFavored Weapon: SickleThe primary creator and nature-deity of the Rhivian pantheon, Mhavara is the even-tempered mother of Hevelior, Lunelle, Ashalla, and Calistrienne, as the wife of the former sun-god Rhisol. While she mourns her husband's death, Mhavara is much more subdued than most of the other deities, and has deeper insight into the nature of reality as one of its primary creators. She teaches that the world is eternal and that all things pass with time, even death itself, giving way to new life and new order. Death and change are necessary for life and growth, and her faithful believe firmly in reincarnation, even for dead gods. Mhavara is both harsh and gentle, depending on the time of year, encouraging balance and moderation, but not stagnation or indecision.

Mhavara's body is the world itself, and Rhivians named the world Mhavareth after her, but she also manifests a humanoid aspect at times. In her humanoid aspect, Mhavara is a stout, earthy, matronly woman with dirt-encrusted dusky skin, blue-green pools of water for eyes, cloudy hair, a fiery tongue, and robes of plantlife complete with flowers and thorns. She wields a sickle in her rare clashes with other deities, a weapon that constantly changes between different elemental forms and materials, called Nature's Fang.

Followers of Mhavara are referred to as Mhavarans and are most often farmers, herders, or others who make their living off the land. Shrines of Mhavara are found in practically every farming community across Rhivia, excluding a few places where other religions are dominant. Temples to the goddess are quite rare, however, and her priesthood is quite scattered with little hierarchy. Her priests are usually druids or rangers, and even Mhavaran clerics are little different. Their ranks are simply those of the world's druidic order, which is itself simply divided into aspirants (priests in training), initiates (the average priests), heirophants (the senior priests who have acquired significant divine magic from Mhavara), and the arch-heirophant who holds limited leadership over the entire druidic and Mhavaran order.

Priests of Mhavara wear simple robes of brown or gray, with some sort of decorations incorporating red, white, blue, and green. Heirophants tend to wear more color than initiates, and the arch-heirophant wears a distinctive living crown of green, slightly thorny vegetation with flowers of red, white, and blue, the artifact Crown of Nature bestowed upon the first arch-heirophant by Mhavara herself. Mhavaran priests pray at dawn, noon, or dusk (their choice upon initiation into the order).

ASHALLA, the Life-Giver, the Guardian, Lady of MercyFemale Greater DeitySymbol: Upright golden scepter entwined by flowering vines, in front of a silver shieldHome Plane: NirvanaAlignment: Neutral GoodPortfolio: Life, mercy, defense, security, nature's bounty, natural beautyWorshippers: Druids, rangers, fighters, alchemists, farmers, herders, hunters, guards, wardensCleric Alignments: CG, LG, N, NGDomains: Animal, Good, Healing, Plant, ProtectionFavored Weapon: QuarterstaffThe Rhivian goddess of pure good, Ashalla is the daughter of Rhisol and Mhavara, as well as the former betrothed of Hevelior. Firstborn of the Rhivian deities, after the original triumvirate of Rhisol, Mhavara, and Noctavian took form. Mother of Paladia, Vanigor, Gabridea, and Oramina, she broke off her ties with Hevelior after he betrayed Rhisol. Ashalla is a forgiving and benevolent goddess, but she stands firmly against evil and wickedness, so she refuses to associate with Hevelior any longer. She has battled Ravik often, seeking to quell the rising tide of evil since Rhisol's demise, and she likewise battled Noctavian a few times before that. Ashalla is most-celebrated on the 1st day of Spring's Start, as life returns to the land after winter's withering grip loosens, and this day is known as Ashalla Ascendant. Another major holiday of the Ashallan faith is the 1st day of Autumn's Start, known as Harvest's Harbinger, as people celebrate the beginning of the most important harvest-time before winter, throwing feasts open to everyone and accompanied by much singing and dancing.

Ashallan ceremonies and celebrations are always bright, vigorous, and positive affairs, displaying the energy and joy of life, while showing thankfulness for all that the participants have, never dwelling on what they don't. Even Ashallan funerals attempt to be optimistic and cheerful for the dearly departed returning to Ashalla's gentle care, and her Glorious Golden Halls in Nirvana. The goddess' ceremonies, rituals, and celebrations always involve singing and dancing, with uplifting lyrics and upbeat tempos. Her priests are usually present at births in their communities and perform blessings upon any newborn, praising Ashalla for the new life brought into the world, congratulating the mother, and doing whatever they can to prevent or overcome any complications in the birthing process. Ashallan priests also attend the construction or repair of fortifications to bless them for successful protection of the community, and they protect sites of natural beauty as well as blessing crops or herds of livestock, helping others maintain a healthy crop or healthy herd. They search the wilderness for medicinal or otherwise-beneficial herbs, as well as entreating with fey creatures for peace. They exorcise restless spirits and protect people from undead or necromancers.

Ashalla herself appears as a tall woman of perfect, statuesque beauty, with skin of silver and long hair of purest gold. Her eyes are emeralds and her voice so melodiously beautiful as to make mortals weep in joy. She wears robes woven with golden threads taken from her own luxurious hair, and an always-fresh laurel wreath around her head. Her face is never less than radiant with a beaming smile and a gentle look in her eyes. Even Ravik has never managed to make her truly angry or vengeful, only disappointed and stern, yet still smiling, even if only in pity. Lush green vegetation grows from Ashalla's arms, legs, and shoulders, entwining about her limbs and robes, always flowering and pleasantly fragrant. Ashalla wields a long golden scepter entwined with vegetation, just like her holy symbol, and she carries a silver shield as well but no armor. The scepter is called Bounty, and the shield Mercy.

Shrines or temples of Ashalla are found in most communities where the Rhivian Pantheon is revered at all. They are bright and roomy places with good acoustics and good floors for dancing, decorated with gold and silver where possible, or at least potted plants. Priests of Ashalla wear loose white and yellow robes, allowing for plenty of freedom of movement given the energetic dancing involved in Ashallan ceremonies. The robes of high-ranking priests may be woven with cloth-of-gold instead of yellow-dyed fabric. Each rank of priest above the lowest priests is adorned with ever-greater amounts of golden and silver jewelry. Priests of Ashalla use the same ranks as the Heveliori priesthood, due to the close ties between them in the early days of Rhivia. Ashallan priests pray at either dawn or noon, their choice which upon entering the priesthood.

Hello, I'd be interested in this campaign. The aforementioned time slot of Wednesday at 5-6 PM Pacific would be quite suitable for me (an even later start would preferable). While I've not played Pathfinder before, I am familiar with 3.5e, therefore, there should be a minimal learning curve in picking up the various rules changes.

Sun Apr 17, 2011 10:02 am

Debbonair

Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:32 pmPosts: 48

Re: RECRUITING Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays/Frida

sure, why not since AQ's game has been discontinued for the time being. Have to look over my char list and see what I have available for 6th. I'll get back to ya with options.

Edit: Alrighty, looked over my directory of chars and I have 5 that are lvl6. Options are:

Valaera- female valanar elf swashbuckler3/fighter3. she's the top student of the valanar Shadi'laes or Blade Dancers. she disdains others reliance on magic instead pushing her own limits ever farther. a prophecy before her birth has destined her to have great impact on the world, but the precise nature is yet to be revealed.

Wo-Tar "Strongmind" Hynothulagantu- male goliath monk1/psychic warrior5. strong as a herd of oxen, yet dumb as post his answer to everything is pound on it. he's got quite a temper which landed him in prison for several years where he developed his psychic powers, mostly pertaining to his own body. there aren't many things that can escape once he gets a grip.

Sir William Orison- male human knight6. a true knight of the old code, he will defend his allies unto his own death. he's a bit naive as to how real battle works believing full-force that everything should be conducted with unswerving honor. his beliefs can get parties into plenty of trouble- and everyone will likely get fed up with his lectures fairly frequently, but when danger arises you couldn't wish for anyone or anything better to stand between said danger and yourself.

Nycylia- female sun elf favored soul6. the absolute soul of purity and goodness, she will never harm any living thing. she is stunningly beautiful in both body and demeanor. with her present things should never devolve into violence. but should you get into a fight with something mindless, her allies can fight without regard for their own health because she will see to it that everyone stays in peak condition.

and lastly,Ilthonar- male lesser duergar fighter2/warblade4. quite the conceited asshole, he will REALLY rub everyone the wrong way. his attitude might just be worth putting up with though because his abilities don't fall much short of his boasts- with his trusty guisarme in hand, he will utterly destroy just about any foe in short order.

So those are the choices, let me know which you think best. Only Orison is already pathfinder, but it'd be easy enough for me to convert any of them. Feel free to ask any questions too.

Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:30 am

Arkhandus

Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:35 amPosts: 311Location: Glendale, AZ, USA

Re: RECRUITING Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays/Frida

Please use this format when submitting character stats (just copy and paste the form).

Last edited by Arkhandus on Sat Apr 23, 2011 1:52 am, edited 2 times in total.

Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:18 am

Arkhandus

Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2009 4:35 amPosts: 311Location: Glendale, AZ, USA

Re: RECRUITING Pathfinder: Wierd Frontiers (Wednesdays/Frida

Darkwolf wrote:

Hello, I'd be interested in this campaign. The aforementioned time slot of Wednesday at 5-6 PM Pacific would be quite suitable for me (an even later start would preferable). While I've not played Pathfinder before, I am familiar with 3.5e, therefore, there should be a minimal learning curve in picking up the various rules changes.

OK! That's fine, Pathfinder is basically 3.5 D&D with minor changes. You can find the core rules and some Advanced Player's Guide material on the Paizo website's own Pathfinder Reference Document, or at the d20pfsrd.com website.

It seems we may have 4 interested players so far, between the three on this thread and one on EN World. That guy is also unfamiliar with Pathfinder but has experience with D&D and some brief experience with 3E before; for now he's considering a Monk. So it appears we may have a Monk and perhaps a Psion, plus whatever you and Debbonair might play.

I'll have some more details posted later this week, on the setting and the deities listed further up the thread. I've posted the character sheet format just above this. And I'll be on the OpenRPG Dev II server as well as Blackstar Games Server for at least a few hours this Wednesday in the expected game-time-slot, hanging out in the lobby to recruit, answer questions, or go over character-creation stuff.

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